research
Helping You Live Better
A Healthy Addition
Studies show about 71 percent of migraine sufferers are dissatisfied with their acute treatment . According to the NHF , there are about 30 million Americans with migraine . That ’ s a lot of unsatisfied people who are looking for a new alternative .
Many books and studies have touted the effectiveness of magnesium supplementation for migraine . Although magnesium treatment only works for people who are magnesium deficient , about 50 percent of migraineurs have this problem , says Alexander Mauskop , MD , director and founder of the New York Headache Center .
For migraine patients , magnesium performs many different functions in the brain , including regulating serotonin receptors where migraine drugs work .
“ This is no secret ,” Dr . Mauskop says . “ The American Academy of Neurology guidelines for the treatment of migraines recommend magnesium supplementation .”
Dr . Mauskop has spent the last several years developing a new over-the-counter product , called Migralex , which combines two staples of migraine treatment , aspirin and magnesium . Dr . Mauskop says aspirin is still the best , and most studied , analgesic , but it can cause stomach issues . Because magnesium is very alkaline , it neutralizes the stomach side effects of aspirin .
“ Magnesium has other benefits , as well — not just the headache effects ,” Dr . Mauskop says . “ It makes people feel relaxed , their vision improves , their head feels clearer . They just feel better in general .”
By the Numbers
The National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) is the major source of governmental research funding in the United States . In 2007 , the NIH granted :
$ 13 MILLION for migraine research
$ 294 MILLION for asthma research
$ 1.037 BILLION for diabetes research
Source : americanmigrainefoundation . org
A Cheaper
Alternative
Although prescription medication is an essential part of most migraine treatment plans , there might be a more cost-effective option . According to a new study published in the June issue of the journal Headache , behavioral therapies , such as relaxation training , hypnosis and biofeedback , can be a cheaper , and longlasting , alternative to medication .
Researchers compared the costs of several types of minimalcontact behavioral treatment with preventive prescription drugs . With minimal-contact treatment , a patient sees a therapist only a few times a year and uses instructional literature or relaxation CDs to practice behavioral techniques at home .
After six months , minimal-contact behavioral treatment was comparable to drug treatment using medicines that cost 50 cents or less per day . But after one year , minimal-contact therapy was nearly $ 500 cheaper .
The cost of prescription migraine medications might not seem like much at first , but it keeps adding up over time , says study coauthor Donald Penzien , PhD , director of the Head Pain Center at the University of Mississippi Medical Center .
“ The cost of behavioral treatment is front-loaded ,” he says . “ You go to a number of treatment sessions , but then that ’ s it . And the benefits last for years .”
16 HEAD WISE | Volume 1 , Issue 2 • 2011